As Bad Bunny residency ends, young concertgoers praise its massive boost to Puerto Rico
During every concert since Bad Bunny began his sold-out, 30-date residency in July, Véronica López has been selling hand-held fans outside of San Juan’s José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum.According to López, she’s earned about $5,000 each night from her fans, splashed with designs inspired by the island and Bad Bunny’s newest album, “Debí Tirar Mas Fotos.”“I’ve been here since it started. Each time, we increase sales because the clients aren’t only people who are going to the concert but also people who are coming to hang out beforehand — it doesn’t stop,” said López, who’s using profits to help stray animals.As the historic residency, titled “No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí” or “I don’t want to leave here,” comes to a close this weekend, López is just one of the thousands of Puerto Ricans who have benefited from the estimated nearly $200 million in tourism revenue generated from visitors flocking to the island for Bad Bunny’s concerts.In Old San Juan, the cobblestoned streets teemed with visitors at the city’s cafes, shops and bars, with tourists snapping pictures in front of Bad Bunny-themed street murals painted on the sides of the capital’s vividly colored buildings.Music & MusiciansSep 11Bad Bunny says ICE raids influenced decision to host residency in Puerto RicoMusic & MusiciansAug 31Bad Bunny reacts to Jon Hamm dancing at Puerto Rico residency: ‘He was lit!'Music & MusiciansAug 30Bad Bunny opens up about the ‘emotional' song that made his mom cryThe concert series, album and sponsored festivities outside of the coliseum could only be described as a love letter to Puerto Rico, highlighting its deep and rich history, traditions, culture and music, but also ongoing issues around its economy, gentrification and infrastructure.Although the residency has taken place during Atlantic hurricane season and is ending at its peak, an estimated 600,000 people have come to the island over the past two months. According to Discover Puerto Rico, a tourism agency, short-term rental reservations in San Juan have shattered previous records, with bookings in San Juan up between 130% and 175% in August and September compared to the same months in 2024. Traditionally, the summer season in Puerto Rico doesn’t see as much tourism, which is more prevalent in the winter months when northern residents fly down to the Caribbean to escape the cold weather.Praise for an ‘affordable’ concertBeyond the surge of outside visitors that Bad Bunny — whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — has brought to the island during the typical nadir of its tourism season, he ensured that shows remained accessible to both tourists and Puerto Ricans living on the island.The residency’s first nine shows were only available to Puerto Rico residents, and when tickets went on sale in January, the prices for all shows ranged between $35 and $250, a rarity in an era of concert price-gouging and Ticketmaster wars.“Today I spent zero dollars on my ticket because my cousin, who lives here, gifted it to me,” said Francisco Guzmán, who is from San Juan but lives in New York City. “This is the second time that we’ve been to this show. The first time that we came, we were super close to [the stage] and we paid the regular price of $175.”Inside the arena affectionately known as El Choli, food and drink prices were also surprisingly low, with specialty cocktails priced between $10 and $13. For Alexandria Alicea, who spent $450 flying from Boston to come see the show, the cost of food and tickets felt more “affordable” than for other shows that she’s been to.“I think this is the cheapest concert ticket I’ve ever bought. The food’s under $10, it’s all affordable,” Alicea said. “It really feels like it’s meant to be an enjoyable experience, and not just a money gouge.”Between her $100 concert ticket, lodging at La Concha, a beachside resort in San Juan, food and airfare, Alicea said she spent about $1,000 in total on her trip to the residency.“I think the whole rest of the experience is worth the money that I’m spending,” Alicea said.Standing in line for a drink at the residency’s second-to-last weekend, Guzmán said he thinks that what Bad Bunny is doing in Puerto Rico with his concerts is something “unprecedented.”“I think it’s important that people see Puerto Rico, that they see who we are as a people. This is an island that’s so small in a world so large, and people are looking at us,” Guzmán said. “Maybe thanks to Bad Bunny, thanks to what’s happening, Puerto Rico will always be on the map.”
